Contributors: November 2017

Published: November 8, 2017

Emell Derra Adolphus

Quick-tempered criticisms have, unsurprisingly, befallen interpretations of the word “ally,” says Detroit-based writer Emell Derra Adolphus. In his essay on being a better ally to oft-marginalized transgender communities, he explains: “Now, more than ever, people are presented with the proverbial fork in the road — rattled and roused to put up or shut up when it comes to supporting a cause.” But sometimes putting up is shutting up, he says, “lessening the noise, so others can be heard.”

Connor McNeely

Hour Detroit intern Connor McNeely is a senior at Oakland University, where he is the campus editor of the independent student newspaper The Oakland Post. Off campus, McNeely works as a contributing freelance writer for TBD magazine, Detroit Metro Times, and Venture Michigan magazine. When he’s not writing, McNeely is likely playing music. You can find him on the weekends in the corner of a packed downtown basement playing drums and singing in his surf-punk band, Twin Falls.

Patricia Montemurri

In a 36-year career with the Detroit Free Press, Patricia Montemurri covered politics, women’s issues, health advances, the priest sexual abuse scandal, and the Catholic Church. Her reporting first revealed the slush fund that led to former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s federal prison sentence. She was in St. Peter’s Square in 2005 to witness the funeral of Pope John Paul II, as well as the selection of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. That was also when Montemurri first interviewed Father Joseph Tobin, a onetime pastor of Detroit’s Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. A year ago, Pope Francis bestowed upon Tobin the red hat of a cardinal, making the Detroit native a so-called Prince of the Church.

Lexi Trimpe

The Urbanwood Project story was a special experience for Web Editor Lexi Trimpe. The story led her back to her childhood home and her dad’s workshop. Together, they spent a full weekend giving salvaged wood the ultimate “Dad test,” while listening to classic rock and debating politics. After three days of sawing, sanding, and finishing, she was not only left with a great impression of the wood, but also with three keepsakes and countless new memories with her dad. When she’s not covered in sawdust, you can find Trimpe eating her way through Detroit or hosting our monthly Shared Plates live feeds.